Work Text:
“Hey, Mom?”
“Hm?”
“Are you busy tonight?”
“No, I don't have a shift,” Nanako answered. Then, carefully, she added. “Why do you ask?”
“Oh, I was wondering if I could invite Reki over for dinner.”
Oh, so it was just that. Nanako relaxed. “Of course, dear. I would love to meet him.”
And she meant it, because this boy must be so special that her son was so fond of him. Langa had never had friends, not even when he was in Canada, so knowing that he formed such a close bond with someone other than his family really warmed her heart.
“Okay,” he said, visibly lit up. “I’ll let him know.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” She smiled. “Honestly, I’m surprised I’ve never seen him around before. You talk about him so much, he sounds so wonderful. You know your mother would love to meet your best friend.”
Langa gave her a blank look. “Best friend?”
“Eh?”
“Eh?”
_________________
Langa had a boyfriend.
Boyfriend. Boyfriend. Not a friend who was a boy, but a boyfriend. Someone he formed a committed relationship with, someone he was romantically interested in.
Oh God, her son had a boyfriend.
And she was about to meet him for the first time.
Uhhhhh what should I wear??? Something casual? Something formal? Should this be formal at all? Wait, what should we have for dinner? Japanese? Italian? Poutine? Do I even have enough time to cook? Ahhhhhhh what do I do, Oliverrrrrrrrrr?????
Langa was picking up his boyfriend, they could be back any minute now. But here she was panicking in front of the closet, cursing herself for being so oblivious. She should’ve seen this coming, the signs were all there: how Reki was the only person Langa ever talked about, how Langa’s usual stoic face brightened whenever Reki was brought up, how he kept mentioning Reki even when he had nothing to do with the conversation... Heck, she should’ve caught on from the day he seeked her advice, when he clearly did not deny its romantic connotation and just corrected that he wasn’t talking about a girl. Her own son came out to her and she didn’t even know!
She was happy for him, she really was, her baby had found someone he held dear to his heart. The real problem was that she wasn't mentally prepared, even though he was well in the age where he developed feelings for his peers. In her defence, Langa had never expressed interest in anyone like that before, so the subject of his potential romance was completely forgotten.
And now that Langa had a boyfriend, she was looking forward to finally meeting him. She wanted to see the boy that captured Langa's heart, but at the same time she was terrified. What if she did something wrong? What if she offended him by accident? What if Reki hated her so much he broke up with Langa? Her baby would be so sad and it would be all her fault!
Help me, Oliverrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!
_________________
“Ahhhh what should I wear???? Should I go with something fancier? Or do I just stick with the hoodie? Will she judge me if I do? Oh God, what if she hates my clothes? Should I bring something? I saw in Western TV shows where people bring food when visiting someone and- Oh God, should I have done that too? Do I have time? Are we late? What do I do Langaaaaaaaaa-”
“Reki.” Langa grabbed his face. “It’s gonna be alright. Just relax.”
“Relax? Why are you telling me to relax? I’m meeting your mom!”
“So?”
“So?” Reki baffled. “This is a big deal, Langa! I’m your boyfriend! I’m meeting your mother as your boyfriend!”
“Reki, breathe.”
“I don’t know if I can-”
“Just breathe,” Langa said calmly, rubbing his thumbs on his boyfriend’s cheeks in slow, soothing motion. It worked somewhat, Reki relaxed more, but his nerves were still there judging by his still tense shoulders.
Reki sighed, dropping his head down. “I don’t wanna screw this up.”
“And you won’t.”
“How are you so sure?” Reki frowned. “What if I say something wrong? What if I offend her? What if she hates me so much she’ll want you to break up with me and-”
“Reki.” Langa lifted Reki’s chin, forcing his boyfriend to face him. “I’ve told my mom about you before. She really adores you, she’s excited to see you.”
“But you only say nice things about me, don’t you? What if I don’t live up to that? What if she dislikes me once we finally meet?”
“She won’t, Reki, she’ll never hate you.” Langa shook his head. “I know my mom, and I’m sure she’ll love you as much as I do.”
Reki heaved out another sigh. “I really want her to like me. Not just because I want to date you, it’s also ‘cause she means so much to you. She’s so wonderful, from what you’ve told me, and I just… I don’t want to disappoint.”
Langa’s hand went back on Reki’s cheeks. He looked at him intently while Reki looked away. “You’re beautiful.” He kissed him on the cheek. “You’re wonderful.” He kissed him on the nose. “You’re the best boyfriend ever.” He kissed him on the forehead. “You’re precious to me.” He ended with a lingering kiss on the lips. “It’s gonna be okay, I’ll be there for you. We’re doing this together, remember?” He peppered more kisses on Reki’s lips, making the redhead smile despite the nervousness.
“Okay, okay, I get it now.” Reki leaned away, a blush visible on his face. “Thanks for reassuring me, Langa. I like you a lot, you know?”
“I hope you do.” Langa brought Reki’s hand up for a peck. “Otherwise I’ll have a very awkward conversation with my mom.”
Reki snorted, feeling so much better now. He looked through his closet again, finally decided what to wear: a plain white shirt, a jacket and a pair of jeans, not too fancy but not too informal either. He fixed his hair a little bit, but Langa insisted on keeping the headband - “‘Cause it’s you, Reki. I like you so much,” he’d said, making Reki blush.
They finally got going at last, though they did stop by Shadow’s flower shop to get a bouquet for Langa’s mom. Langa said it wasn’t necessary, but Reki insisted on getting her a gift. At least Shadow was supportive, the arrangement was nice.
They finally stopped at Langa’s place and made their way to his apartment. Langa smiled at Reki when they finally reached the door.
“Ready to show my mom how lucky I am?”
“I should be the one who says that.” Reki chuckled nervously.
_________________
The food is done. The house is clean. I look decent. Okay, this is fine, now all I need to do is stay calm. Remember, Nanako, you went through this once.
It took Nanako another fifteen minutes of overthinking to remember that she, too, was once in Reki’s shoes. Back when she was dating Oliver, she was so nervous about meeting his parents that she cried because she couldn’t decide what to wear. Of course, Oliver was there for her, giving her words of reassurance and encouraging her to be herself. Oliver was wonderful like that, she loved him then and she still loved him now.
The meeting turned out a lot better than she imagined, Oliver’s mother hugged her the moment she stepped through the door. The dinner was great, their conversations went smoothly, Oliver’s father joked about how obsessed his son was with her, while his mother even begged her to marry him. Her wish was fulfilled, at least, Nanako smiled recalling the memory.
It was then she realized that Reki might be just as nervous as the twenty-something Nanako was back then. If that was the case, she must remain calm, or she might give him the wrong idea and freak him out.
The doorbell rang, Nanako jumped. Calm down, she thought, making her way to the door to welcome her son and his partner.
Smiling as naturally as she could, she opened the door. She was met with the familiar face of her son, and a shorter, red haired boy standing next to him holding a bunch of flowers.
“Welcome,” Nanako greeted, eyes darting between the two. She tried not to stare at the other boy too much, it might scare him.
“Hi Mom, I would like you to meet-”
“Kyan Reki! Third year student! I skateboard occasionally!” Reki bowed, speaking frantically. “It’s really nice to meet you! And, uh, I got you flowers!” He shoved the flowers to her face, much to her and Langa’s shock.
So he really was nervous.
Calm down, Nanako. You have to make him comfortable.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Reki.” She smiled, taking the flowers from him. “Thank you so much for the flowers, they are lovely.”
“Reki picked the flowers himself, Mom.” Langa added, looking at Reki, whose face was so red it matched his hair. Nanako looked at her son, she had never seen so much fondness in his eyes before.
I have to do this right. I can’t drive him away.
“Langa told me a lot about you, Reki.”
“Oh? Uh… He told me a lot about you too,” he answered, smiling awkwardly. “All good things. He loves you so much.”
Nanako giggled, hiding her blush behind the flowers. She noticed some pinkness dusted in Langa’s face too.
“Well, come on in. You two must be hungry.”
_________________
Reki and Langa prepared the table while Langa’s mother reheated some food. With Langa’s mom out of earshot, Reki whispered to his boyfriend, making sure to keep his voice low.
“How was it? Was it bad?”
“Reki, it’s fine. You did great.”
“I don’t know, man, I freaked out!” Reki whispered. “What kind of introduction was that? I was so stupid!”
“You weren’t, Reki,” Langa whispered back. “You were amazing. I’m sure she likes you already.”
“I hope so.” Reki huffed. “I hope I won’t mess up anymore.”
“You won’t-”
“Dinner is ready.” Langa’s mother announced, making her way back to the dining table. Reki helped her carry some food, and the three of them settled down.
The first minute was rather awkward, Langa’s mom kept looking between the two as though she herself didn’t know what to say. Oh God, was this a bad sign? Was his first impression really that suck? Did she not like the idea of her son dating someone like him?
Calm down, Reki thought, you can start the conversation. Just say something.
“The food was really good, Ms. Hasegawa.” He settled on this, nice and easy.
“Oh?” She jumped a bit. Was she spacing out? “Thank you, Reki, you’re so nice.”
Reki chuckled, but was screaming internally. How was he supposed to continue this conversation?
Luckily, Langa’s mom did. “I was relieved that you like it. I haven’t made poutine for a while. Do you like it, Langa? It’s your favourite after all.”
“Hm.” Langa hummed approvingly, shoving more fries in his mouth. He didn’t look nervous at all, in contrast to Reki.
“It’s really delicious, Ms. Hasegawa. Do you have the recipe?”
“Oh, it’s a family recipe, Langa’s grandmother taught me. She makes the best poutine, mine can’t compare.”
“She does.” Langa nodded, munching on more fries. The guy seemed to be only interested in the food, leaving his mother and Reki to keep the conversation going.
Dang it, Langa!
“I- I would love to learn it one day.” Reki scratched his cheek. “I’d like to make it for my family, or Langa.”
Langa’s mom stilled, looking at Reki curiously. Reki realized the implication of what he just said, his face heated at the thought.
“Wait, I didn’t mean it like, uh-”
“It’s alright, Reki.” She smiled at him. “I can show you the recipe the next time you come over.”
“Oh, that would be really great, Ms. Hasegawa,” Reki answered, finding it easier to breathe.
This is fine, she wasn’t mad. She even said she’ll show me next time I-
Did she just say next time??????
“Oh, um, boys.” She put down her fork, looking at them both. “I have a few questions, if you don’t mind me asking.”
Oh God, I hope she won’t interrogate me.
“Oh, not at all! You can ask anything you want. Langa and I.” Reki nudged him, making him look up. “Would love to answer them.” Reki smiled, hiding his nerves, while Langa just nodded, seeming a bit lost.
“Okay.” Langa’s mom breathed out, looking more relaxed. “So, how did you two meet? I know you guys are classmates, but how did you start talking?”
“Oh, okay.” Reki started, this one was easy enough. “So I saw him in class as a new transfer student. I thought he seemed interesting, coming from Canada and all, but I was nervous to talk to him ‘cause he was so quiet. Later that afternoon, my skateboard rolled off and it reached him, so we started talking.”
“Oh? What did you talk about?”
“He seemed interested in my skateboard, so I let him try it. He fell to his butt, though.” Reki nudged Langa with a grin, Langa huffed. “Then I showed him a trick called ‘ollie’, and he looked very impressed, so I hit on him a bit then-”
“You were hitting on me?” Langa turned to him suddenly.
“Ah! Uh…” Dang it, Reki! “Just a little bit? I mean, you were good looking, and I wanna see if I could, um…”
“We just met,” Langa said, the surprised look still on his face.
“I know, but… ugh.” Reki buried his face in his palm, wishing the ground would swallow him whole. Langa knowing was embarrassing enough, his mother too!
Ms. Hasegawa only snickered. “I think it’s cute. Who would’ve thought such a small event could bring you two together like this?”
Reki looked at her through his parted fingers, seeing her smiling at him softly. He removed his hands, more at ease.
“So, did Langa ask you to teach him skateboarding afterwards?” she asked.
“No, not exactly. I told him about the skate shop I worked at, Dope Sketch, and he immediately asked about the wage. Turns out he was looking for a part-time job.” Reki laughed at the memory. “So I got him a job there, and, well, the rest was history.”
Ms. Hasegawa nodded, smiling at both of them. “I’m glad that it all worked out. Thank you for helping him, Reki.”
“Oh! Uh... it’s nothing, really.”
“Reki, you're too humble.” Langa interjected.
“What? I mean, it’s not a big deal.”
“It is for me.” Langa pouted.
“I agree with Langa. It helped him a lot and got you two together, so it is a big deal.” Langa’s mother added, and Reki didn’t have the heart to argue. She really was wonderful, just like how Langa described her.
Reki was about to thank her when she asked again. “So how did you get Langa into skateboarding?”
Both Reki and Langa stiffened, they didn’t expect the conversation to go this way. As far as S concerned, they still wanted to keep it a secret, Reki more so because he did not want Langa’s mother to think he was a bad influence. He glanced nervously at Langa, he had to think of something quick, or else-
“I asked him to teach me,” Langa answered instead. “When he olli- when he did that trick, I thought he looked so cool. And while I was working with him at the skate shop, I thought that maybe if I learned skateboarding, I would get to skate with him and see more of that coolness,” he spoke earnestly, looking very convincing. “And then I realized I like him.” Langa added.
Reki nearly choked. “Dude!”
“What?”
“Did you have to add that? I mean...” Reki chuckled nervously, he did not expect Langa to fabricate that lie. “You can’t possibly liked me back then.”
“So what if I did?” Langa said pointedly. Reki could only stared at him in shock.
“He must be really cool, then.” His mother laughed lightly.
“You have no idea,” Langa answered, his gaze determined. Reki really wished the ground could swallow him whole.
Ms. Hasegawa smiled. At least she bought it.
“Would you like another plate, Reki?”
“Yes, please!” Reki answered quickly, hoping she didn’t notice his blush.
“Me too, Mom.” Langa followed.
_________________
It’s okay, it’s going great, Nanako thought as she grabbed more fries for the boys. Just try and talk to him more, make him feel welcome.
Because she wanted to, she really liked Reki. Well, she had already liked him from what Langa had told her, but now that they met in person, she adored him even more. Reki was sweet and considerate, talking to him was really fun. He also made Langa happy, Nanako could tell just from the way her son looked at him.
She approved of him and their relationship, and she wanted to show it.
She returned to the table to see Langa and Reki whispering like before. They both faced her when she arrived, retrieving their plates with thanks and started a new topic.
“Mom, I was thinking that maybe Reki could come with us on our next visit to Canada.”
“If you’ll have me.” Reki added with a grin.
Nanako smiled. “I’d love that.” She really did, she wanted the family to meet Reki too. “We usually visit in the summer, so let me know when you’ll be free so we can book a flight.”
“Thank you, Ms. Hasegawa, I really appreciate it. I can’t wait to see Langa’s hometown.”
“I’m sure you’ll have fun there.” She chuckled. “Oh, Langa, we should definitely visit that hill you used to snowboard. Maybe you can teach him too.”
Langa cocked his head. “I’m not sure if it’ll snow then.”
“How did Langa get into snowboarding?”
Now this was her favourite topic. “Would you like to hear it?”
“Mom-”
“Yes, please.”
“Reki!”
“So it all started when I took Langa to watch his father practice snowboarding. He was a year old at the time, with the biggest blue eyes and the chubbiest cheeks.”
“Mom-”
“Sh, let her continue.”
“Reki-”
“His dad, Oliver, did a snowboarding move, the one where he jumped and spinned in the air. What’s it called again?”
“Backside rodeo.”
“Right, he did that in front of us, and Langa was so impressed he kept staring at his daddy. It was so cute, I wish I had pictures.”
“I bet he was adorable.”
“Reki!”
“Anyways, Oliver was glad he was interested, so he told me to bring Langa next time. On the following day, when we were about to head there, we couldn’t find Langa or Oliver’s snowboard. Turns out the little bean here had taken it outside and tried snowboarding on his own.”
Reki barked out a laugh. “He did that when he was one?”
“Yes.” Nanako joined in his laughter. “The snowboard was twice his size, he could barely walk straight on snow, how he managed to do that is still beyond me. It got a good laugh from us, and Oliver decided that he would teach him.”
“Dude, you were so cute!”
“Reki!” Langa whined, turning his blushing face away.
“Aw, I’m just kidding. You’re still cute.” Reki cooed, rubbing his shoulder. Langa looked back at him with a pout, but his eyes were filled with affection. Nanako recognized that look, that was the same look Oliver wore whenever he looked at her.
Nanako’s heart swelled. Her baby had found someone special like that.
“Mom? You okay?”
“Ah, nothing.” She waved it off, blinking back tears. “I just, you know, remember things from the past,” she lied. She knew saying she felt emotional from watching the two might embarrass them. They seemed to buy it, both nodding at her in acknowledgement.
They continued their meal and had casual conversations, Reki became more talkative this time. He looked so much more relaxed now, Nanako was glad of it. She hoped they could keep this up for the rest of the meal.
They were just finished talking about their job at the skate store when Langa stood up suddenly.
“I have to go to the washroom. You guys keep talking.” And with that he left the table, leaving his mother and boyfriend on their own.
For the first time in the evening, Nanako was alone with Reki.
And for the first time in hours, she panicked.
Oh my, I’m alone with him now. Should I say something first? What should I talk about? Should I ask about skateboards? But I don’t know anything! Would it be rude to ask something more personal? Teenage boys are timid and all. Uhhhhhh help me, Oliverrrrr!!!!
_________________
Oh God, I’m alone with Langa’s mom! Should I say something? Should I talk about skateboards? I might ramble and she might find me annoying. Should I compliment her? That’s out of nowhere. Ask her for more stories! No, that’s way too invasive. Uhhhhhhh why do you have to leave, Langaaaaaaaaaa????
Once again, Reki was anxious, and he could tell Langa’s mother was too. Silence stretched for what felt like an eternity long staring contest, both too nervous to start the conversation. They could just wait until Langa returned, but that would give the other the wrong idea.
“So…”
“Yes?” Reki answered eagerly. Thank goodness, she broke the awkward silence.
“Has Langa met your parents before?”
“Oh?” Reki didn’t expect that. “Well, several times, but only when he stopped by after skateboarding practices. He helped with babysitting too, so technically he met my whole family. But, uh, not like… as a boyfriend.”
Ms. Hasegawa nodded. “I see.”
“But, I’m planning to introduce him as my boyfriend too, after this. They knew about him already so… it’s probably fine.”
“It will be, you don’t have to worry.” She smiled. “And I would love to meet your parents as well.”
“Oh, okay! I’ll let them know.”
Good, this was going well, Reki mused, oddly proud of himself. Langa was right, his mother seemed to like him well enough.
“Reki?”
“Yes?”
“I just wanna say that, um, I’m really glad Langa got to know you.”
Oh, Reki didn’t expect that either. How should he respond to this?
“Um, thanks, Ms. Hasegawa.” He picked the easiest option. Both out of curiosity and to keep the conversation going, he asked, “How so? If you don’t mind me asking.”
She laughed lightly, which was a good sign. “Well, Langa never had any friends growing up, even back in Canada. He didn’t really reach out or make any other connections, his world was just us and snowboarding.” She paused briefly, then went on. “Oliver used to tell me that while he was very proud of his son, he wished Langa would have a friend his age so he would not be alone when his father wasn’t around. And, well, you know how that turned out.”
They fell silent again, Reki didn’t know what to say. The topic got heavy all of a sudden.
Ms. Hasegawa seemed to read his mind. “Ah, pardon me. I got a bit emotional.”
“No, no, it’s fine, Ms. Hasegawa.” Reki waved frantically. “I understand, I really do. You can keep going, if that’s what you want. I brought it up first, anyway.”
She gave him a small smile, which was another good sign. “Langa must have told you about his father, right?” Reki nodded, so she continued. “When his father passed away, it was a tough time for both of us, but I was especially worried about Langa because he became even more withdrawn than before. I tried to get him into therapy but to no avail, so I thought that maybe we should come back here and start anew. Well, we did, but I was still worried. I didn’t account for the fact that he’d have to be in a different country with culture and language he barely knew…” She paused again, seemingly deep in thought. Reki gave her time.
Then, she spoke again. “And then he met you.”
Reki looked up. “Me?”
“Yeah.” She chuckled lightly. “At first I was really worried about him not being able to blend in, so imagine how shocked and joyful I was when he mentioned you.” She smiled at him. “Then, he became a different person, a lot more cheerful and even more talkative. He mostly talks about you, I remember thinking ‘this Reki boy must be so extraordinary that my son can’t stop talking about him’.” She paused again, looking at him meaningfully, then spoke again. “It’s like knowing you is the best thing that ever happened to him, and you light up his whole world just with your presence. He’s so much happier now that he’s with you, and I’m really grateful for that.”
Reki returned her smile, his cheeks warmed from her words. He was used to hearing this kind of thing from Langa, but hearing it from his mother, however, was a different experience. He knew there was nothing to be worried about anymore, Langa’s mother had already accepted him. He adored her with all his heart, he wanted to return the sentiment.
“Thank you, Ms. Hasegawa, it means a lot to me.” Reki started. “And… I’m also grateful that I got to know your son.”
Langa’s mother perked up. “Oh?”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “I never had any close friends growing up either. Well, I had one, but I never saw him again after he quit skating. And after that I can’t find anyone I can call a friend, most people in school aren’t interested in what I do.” He paused, looking at her. “Then Langa arrived, and he actually cares. He’s the first person that I feel connected to, one could say we share a brain cell.” He laughed. “Your son is so wonderful, I learnt a lot from him. And he’s always there for me, even when we fight or when I’m at my worst. I know he’ll never give up on me, and I’ll never give up on him either.”
Reki stopped, to see Langa’s mother staring at him. Her lips quivered, her eyes red with tears, her hands trembled, reaching to his. “Reki,” she said, holding his hands. Reki’s breath stopped, anticipating what she had to say.
“Please marry Langa!”
“EH?”
“MOM!”
Langa returned in an instant, prying his smiling mother from his very confused boyfriend. Reki fell silent, processing what she just said, while Langa and his mother bickered.
“Mom! Why did you say that?”
“I want him to marry you! Oh Reki, please marry my son!”
“Mom! Stop!”
“I’ll contribute to the wedding fee! Honeymoon too, if I have enough! You can get married in Canada! Your grandparents would love that! Wait, are you gonna have kids? I want to be a grandmother-”
“Mom!”
_________________
Dinner was over, and it went very well. Reki insisted on help cleaning the table before he left, which made her love him even more. Yes, Reki was the perfect son-in-law, she couldn’t wait for Langa to marry him.
They finished with the table, and it was time for Reki to head home. Langa would drive him back there.
“Thank you so much for the dinner, Ms. Hasegawa.” Reki bowed as they were about to leave. “It’s really nice to finally meet you.”
“Please, Reki, call me Nanako. Or Mom, if you like.” She winked.
“Mom,” Langa grumbled.
She giggled. “Come back anytime, sweetheart, we’ll always welcome you. And Langa, please tell me when you’re gonna marry him.”
“Mom!” He whined, hiding his blush with his palm. Reki just laughed.
“Thank you, Ms. Hasegawa. I’ll let you know when I visit again. Have a good night.” He bowed again, before nudging Langa on the shoulder. Langa huffed and led him away, Nanako watched the two as they left.
Returning to the table, she looked at the family photo. Her late husband was grinning in the picture, and she smiled knowing he was somewhere up there, already watching over their son and his partner.
“Oliver, did you see him?” she asked the Oliver in the photo, as though she was actually talking to him. “Reki is so wonderful, he’s perfect for our son. They love each other so much, I can see it in their eyes.” She paused, looking at her husband fondly. “I wish you could meet him. You’d love him as much as I do.”
And she could picture it: Oliver would greet Reki cheerfully at the door, they would talk and Reki would tell him about skateboarding, they might even compare the two sports and had a playful debate, and at the end of the day, he would hug her and whisper to her ear about how happy he was for their son to find such an amazing partner.
Yes, she thought, Oliver would really love Reki.
_________________
“I’m so, so sorry, Reki. I should’ve warned you,” Langa said as they rode on the moped. “My mom can be easily emotional, and she’ll sometimes say stuff and… ugh!”
“I told you it’s okay, Langa.” Reki laughed, squeezing Langa’s waist from behind. “It’s not like it’s out of nowhere. You heard all of that, didn’t you?”
“...Yeah.” Langa admitted. “I was gonna come back earlier, but I didn’t want to interrupt you two. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop either, but I was curious about what you guys were talking about. It was really sweet, but… I didn’t expect her to say that kind of thing.” he paused briefly. “I hope she didn’t freak you out.”
Reki shook his head. “Quite the opposite, at least I know she approves of me.” He laughed. “I adore her, she’s really sweet. I definitely want to visit her again.”
Langa sighed, seemingly from relief. “I’m glad. You can visit any time.”
Reki nodded against his shoulder, his mind still lingered on what she had told him. It made him flustered at first, but now it filled him with warmth.
“You know, I’m still thinking about what your mother said-”
“Please ignore that.” Langa groaned. “I told you, she says weird stuff when she’s emotional.”
“No, Langa, I don’t mind it really.” He paused, preparing for his next words. “It’s not like I haven’t been thinking about that sort of thing.”
Langa went stiff against him. Reki’s heart pounded, his hold on Langa tightened as though he could slip away. Was this too soon? Did Langa not want that? Did he freak him out? A thousand questions swirled in his mind, some ruined his previously good mood.
They stopped at Reki’s home, and Langa still hadn’t spoken a word. Reki’s heart sank as he hopped off the moped, but he lingered by Langa’s side, waiting for his response.
“Did you mean it?” Langa asked suddenly. Reki met his eyes, shining with nerves and hope. “Did you mean what you said on the way back?”
Reki chuckled, feeling more at ease. What kind of question was that anyway?
“Of course I did, Langa. I love you.”
Langa gasped, and it was Reki’s turn to go still. He said it, he said he loved Langa. They had never said such a thing before, their relationship still rather new, but Reki knew, deep down, that what he felt for Langa was nothing less than love. He could only hope Langa felt the same.
“I love you too,” Langa answered. “Reki, I love you too! I love you so much! I’ve always wanted to say that!”
Reki laughed, feeling emotional himself. “I love you too, Langa.”
And, without a heads-up, Reki leaned in for a kiss. Langa’s lips went still in shock, before returning the kiss just as eagerly. Reki neither liked goodbye kisses nor understood why Langa did, but just for tonight he would indulge his boyfriend. It was a special night after all.
Reki broke the kiss, and they stared at each other. Langa’s eyes sparkled under the streetlight as he spoke.
“Reki.”
“Hm?”
“Please marry me.”